Swim Across America Raises More Than $158,000 for Women's Cancer Research

Release Date: 09/15/2016

More than 500 swimmers of all ages and skill levels participated in
the seventh annual Swim Across America fundraising swim at Roger Wheeler
State Beach in Narragansett this month, raising more than $158,000 for
cancer research at Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England
hospital.

“I feel very fortunate to have been part of the first
Swim in 2010, and to watch it grow into such an inspirational and
compassionate event over these past seven years,” says Paul Di
Silvestro, MD, interim director, Program in Women’s Oncology at Women & Infants.

“Our
partnership with Swim Across America has resulted in major advancements
in ovarian cancer research – funding that helps us to advance science
and, more importantly, train young physician scientists and basic
scientists for our future,” continues Dr. Di Silvestro, who also leads
research on women’s oncology at Women & Infants.

The swim is organized by Swim Across America, a national organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment.

College
swim teams from across the region – including Providence College,
University of Connecticut, Bryant University, Brown University, Roger
Williams University, University of Rhode Island, Assumption College,
Boston University and Holy Cross – attended, creating one of the largest
groups of college athletes in an open-water swim in the country.
Providence College was the top fundraising school; top individual
fundraiser this year was Walker Hill who raised $5,000.

Pictured from left to
right are: Mark R. Marcantano, president and chief operating officer at
Women & Infants Hospital; Dr. Maureen Phipps, chief of obstetrics
and gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital and Care New England; and
Dr. Paul DiSilvestro, interim director of the Program in Women’s
Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital. (Photo credit: Matthew
Healey)

Providence College professor and breast cancer survivor
Ann Kelley, pictured here surrounded by PC swimmers, spoke about her
experience with cancer and her treatment at Women & Infants’ Program
in Women’s Oncology. (Photo credit: Matthew Healey)

About Women & Infants Hospital

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. A major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, as well as a number of specialized programs in women’s medicine, Women & Infants is the 9th largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country and the largest in New England with approximately 8,500 deliveries per year. A Designated Baby-Friendly® USA hospital, U.S.News & World Report 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospital in Neonatology and a 2014 Leapfrog Top Hospital, in 2009 Women & Infants opened what was at the time the country’s largest, single-family room neonatal intensive care unit.

Women & Infants and Brown offer fellowship programs in gynecologic oncology, maternal-fetal medicine, urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, neonatal-perinatal medicine, pediatric and perinatal pathology, gynecologic pathology and cytopathology, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. It is home to the nation’s first mother-baby perinatal psychiatric partial hospital, as well as the nation’s only fellowship program in obstetric medicine.